Rebellion Project

by Sara Schoen

I had spent years working in aquariums and zoos, I enjoyed it, but both of us were still getting used to the new move. For right now I was okay with visiting our old home town and sharing this jubilant time with family.

  “I’d love for Madison to be one of the bridesmaids. I want it to be a day surrounded by friends and family, and I’d love for her to be up there with Parker and me.” I had been waiting to ask Madison since Kayden told me he had plans to visit his family last month. I needed to ask a few friends from college to also be in the bridal party, but I had to make plans with them so I could ask in person. It just seemed more personal.

  “I’m sure she’d love that,” Shannon said with a smile before it quickly fell. “If only we could get her to come out of her room so she could hear the news.”

  My father took Shannon’s hand for support. “I’m sure she’s fine. High school is a hard time for everyone. Lauren went through something similar.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked curiously. My high school experience hadn’t been typical in my opinion, but it was filled with all the same cliques, stereotypes, and popularity contests. High school couldn’t change that much in the last few years.

  “She gets picked on by other kids because she gets good grades and never gets in trouble,” Shannon said, shaking her head. “She’s trying so hard to please me when all I want is for her to be herself. Her father, while he wasn’t strict, had rules and she followed them to the letter. She wants to please us, and I haven’t been able to get through to her that I just want her to be whoever she wants to be.”

  Kayden elbowed me lightly in the side. He flashed me a warm smile when I turned my attention to him. “That sounds oddly familiar, doesn’t it, GG?”

  I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily before casting him a glowering look. He was right, but that nickname still rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t want to be associated with it, and I had broken out from it senior year, and never went back. I tried not to think about it, but the past had its way of showing up again. It didn’t take much time for me to decide that I’d try to help her out like Kayden had done for me back then.

  I got up to leave, only to have Kayden call to me, “I was just kidding, Lauren. I didn’t mean to make you leave.”

  “I’m not leaving because of you,” I said without turning around. “I’m going to see if I can help Madison out.” I didn’t say another word as I went upstairs. Madison’s door was shut, but I could hear tears on the other side of the door. A haunted frown curved onto my lips. It wasn’t really that long ago that I had been in her position, and I had a strong feeling I knew the tears were caused by either a boy or the more popular crowd.

  I pushed open the door to see Madison eyeing her phone before quickly wiping her tears away. She didn’t want me to see her cry, and I knew it was because to her she didn’t understand why they were making fun of her. I also knew that it was from frustration, she wanted something different, but she was trying to please everyone but herself.

  “Do you want to tell me about it, Madison?” I asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. When she didn’t say anything, too busy attempting to hide her tears, I said, “Is it about other students making fun of you?”

  She nodded. “My friend, Katie, is telling me to stand up to them, but I just want them to leave me alone.”

  “Why are they picking on you?”

  “Because of Linkin Phillips,” she said, letting the frustration show on her features as her shoulders dipping in annoyance.

  “And who is he?”

  “He’s been making fun of me since middle school,” she explained. “It just became more relentless in high school. I thought he’d get bored of it after freshman year, but he hasn’t. He just encourages them. I get called names and made fun of all the time. I just want it to stop.” Her phone vibrated on the bed and she immediately reached for it to type out an answer.

  “What does he have to make fun of you for?”

  When she finished typing her response to Katie, I assumed, she put the phone down and looked at me. “They make fun of me for getting good grades, because I never get in trouble, and I tend to get others in trouble.”

  A smile curved onto my lips. “So you get Linkin in trouble a lot, right?”

  She perked up, and looked at me curiously. “How did you know?”

  “It sounds a lot like Kayden and I when we were in high school.” At my words she smiled, she had always said she loved Kayden’s and my story, and now I understood why. History was repeating itself with her and Linkin, maybe she was hoping for a similar result. “So how about I help you out? I have a few ideas for becoming exactly how you see yourself, get Linkin and those other students off your back, and the best part is I know exactly where to start.”

  She beamed at my words and quickly agreed.

  “I only have one question for you,” I said with a coy smile. “What’s your favorite color?”

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  About the Author

  Sara Schoen began writing in middle school, but did not officially dedicate herself to writing until high school when encouraged by her writing partner. Before then, Sara had not thought about trying to publish her works because it seemed unlikely that anyone would take a chance on someone so young. Despite her previous thoughts, she published her first book, Amber Alert, at the age of nineteen, and began rewriting and editing a spy series that she spent years writing when she was younger. With a lot of hard work and determination, now that same series, which is close to her heart, is a bestseller.

  Sara is a Biology Major with a minor in Environmental Science and a minor in Spanish at James Madison University, and spends her time writing, studying, and ghost hunting. While writing is a great hobby that turned into a passion to share with others, school is her priority.

  Throughout her publishing journey, Sara has had an amazing support system from her family, friends, and significant other, who were with her every step of the way. She hopes to continue to write, and wants to inspire others to reach for their dreams no matter how far they may seem. She truly believes that dreams can come true at any age, if you put in effort and chase after what you want.

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